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Cairo at a Glance

Cairo: Visa and Residency Permits

Narrow and crowded streets like this are typical of Cairo.

Before you even set foot on a plane headed to Cairo, please check with your local Egyptian embassy whether or not you require an entry visa prior to arrival. The list of countries exempt from visas is long, and lots of other nationals can acquire an entry visa at the airport. However, checking beforehand is highly recommended.

A residency permit is required if you want to settle in Egypt. It is also a prerequisite for a work permit. Getting one is usually not a big problem: The residency permit can be acquired from the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration. As most other administrative offices, it is located in the Mugamma at Tahrir Square.

How to Get a Residency Permit

To acquire a residency permit, please bring the following to the Immigration Administration on Tahrir Square: your valid passport, four passport photos and your employment contract. A little cash is also useful as you might have to pay for the process up front. After filling out the necessary form, you can return to pick up your permit within a few days, usually five. It is often necessary to have an Egyptian bank account in order to get the permits, so consulting a bank shortly after arrival will prove useful.

The type of residency permit you need depends on whether you will be employed at a public or private company. If the former is the case, you will get the 3-Year Temporary Residence permit; the latter requires a Temporary Non-Tourist Residence permit, valid for one year. Keep in mind that both should always be renewed on time.

Alien Registration

You will have to register with the police upon arrival. This is a very simple task and should not take a lot of time; you can also ask the tourist police (dressed in white uniforms during summertime) for help. If you first arrive at a hotel, they will take care of this task for you.

Before You Leave

Please consult your doctor in order to check up on routine vaccinations well in advance of your move to Cairo. This is also a good time to get an HIV test done. This is necessary for your application for a work permit.

You should also get vaccinated against Hepatitis A and C, both very common in Egypt, and Meningococcemia. Other health hazards include Schistosomiasis – a parasitic disease mostly caught by swimming in the Nile – and diarrhea, which can be caused by drinking tap water. Please stick to bottled water, which is cheap and readily available everywhere.

Keep in mind that air pollution is a big concern in Cairo. With a third of the nation’s industry located in the metropolitan area and, at times, horrible traffic jams, the air quality suffers considerably. The fact that Cairo is surrounded by desert does not help to alleviate the problem: Dust and sand are all around. If you have any problems with your respiratory system, talk to your doctor before you leave.